Please fix the "screaming issue" and peep-behaviour during rides.

tricktrack · May 21, 2019

Back in the day, when we had a functioning bug-forum, we were able to communicate an issue with peeps screaming on coasters, that was actually
acknowledged by a DEV and it was eventually changed for the better. (The problem was an excessive use of the "whaa!"-scream that peeps would utter constantly.)
Now with the last update we were getting a total change with peep-noises on coasters and rides. Gone where the cheerful "whoaaa!"-screams that could be heard during airtime-moments. (sure, it was a bit unnatural but cheerful and added life to the game.)

Right now the peep-noises are a total mess. Peeps are now mostly silent. They don´t chatter on the lift hills, and even during drops the are at times totally numb. If they show any reaction, its a short, awful scream that sounds more llike a small animal in pain than a person having fun on a ride. (Is this a by-product of Planet Zoo, maybe?!)
In the past peeps would cheer as the train would come into the brake-run. Now they are dead-silent and fall into their zombie-like stasis.

In fact. peeps should be all giddy with excitement and joy when the train pulls up into the station. The way this is handled right now is totally joyless and dumb. Peeps look like they are dead, when the train comes into the station. The game should reward you for building an awesome coaster!

AaronTuckwell · May 28, 2019

This is a very good point. I noticed the other day that when the train drops on a dive machine they were silent.. no screams at all..

I have a feeling that this has been disabled so that they can do some more work to the sound systems as they have done this with other features in the past - but you're right, there is a noticeable sound vacuum now. The same is sort of true for some flat rides too.. Some of the screams have vanished on these too..

tricktrack · May 28, 2019

Oh, I´m so glad someone is replying to this thread. I feared I was the only one who noticed this.
I said this before: The overall sound design of the game is AMAZING! The rides, coasters and especially the water rides (for all their half-baked short comings) sound so good.
The lift-hill sounds on the Armada are especially well crafted.
But then the screaming! The peep reaction doesn´t sound real at all. Yeah, I know: the screaming is in Planco. But still....

I guess that it was very hard to record real people on real rides and mix it properly with good sound-seperation. But the PlanCo screams sadly sound like the Frontier-staff was placed in front of a mic and told to scream.

Since the last update, the screaming got SO BAD that I don´t want to have the sound on at all. Those short, painful noises sound more like a snuff-game than a theme-park sim.
AND I have the feeling that the overall sound mixing has changed with the last update as well. Some sounds are now way too loud. Water jets, the rattling/clanking sound of some coasters are now much too prominent.

I would really, really hope that the sound-devs would look into this. At least get the screaming back to a level that doesn´t make you look like a gerbil-abuser, when somebody hears notices you playing Planet Coaster!

Bubbliplop · Jun 8, 2019

+1 I totally agree. I think this is the same issue that has been reported on the Issue Tracker https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/600

tricktrack · Jun 8, 2019

Bubbliplop said:
+1 I totally agree. I think this is the same issue that has been reported on the Issue Tracker https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/600

Yes, I contributed to this too. There was another "duplicate"-thread about this that was deemed as "invalid". It´s becoming very frustrating how some problems are being dealt with (or better: NOT being dealt with) since the Issue Tracker is a thing.
Noticing duplicate threads of the same problem and ONLY reacting to it by calling one "invalid" but NOT confirming the other makes you feel like you´re being fooled with.

When we had sound issues in the old bug forums, a sound-DEV would go out of his way to understand the problem and getting rid of it. I just don´t get why they´re messing with these kind of things in updates and then not explaining what their rationale is.

The same thing happened with complaints about lowered prestige ratings for some flat rides after an update. Why make the effort to design, render and animate all those beautiful rides, just to suddenly make them unappealing to peeps. Why not listen to customers and change it back? Or at least explain the thought process with more than "it´s by design".

tricktrack · Jun 10, 2019

I just noticed that peeps being "spooked" by ghosts are making the same noises/screams now as they do while on a ride.
It´s clearly a new sound feature that got mixed up. Now all peeps are doing the "spooked" sounds, even when they should scream in amazement, fear or exhilaration.
Please consider to seperate these sounds from each other.

jamesh10 · Jun 20, 2019

I really want the screams that can be heard on the guest brain video because they really make the rides come to life

Bitter Jeweler · Jun 21, 2019

tricktrack said:
I just noticed that peeps being "spooked" by ghosts are making the same noises/screams now as they do while on a ride.
It´s clearly a new sound feature that got mixed up. Now all peeps are doing the "spooked" sounds, even when they should scream in amazement, fear or exhilaration.
Please consider to seperate these sounds from each other.

Maybe it is for reasons of “optimization” people keep nagging about?

tricktrack · Jun 21, 2019

I thought about this too. The reduced peep animation during parts of the ride might be for optimization.
But then I noticed that the pitiful screams we now have, are actually "new". They came with 1.11 and the GB-Update suddenly had "spooked" peeps
screaming with these short, abrasive noises.
If this would actually help fps (I didn´t notice better fps with 1.11) then it would be (sort of) fine.
But sound is such an important factor in the immersion of the game. As it is now, the peep sounds actually make me want to play the game on mute.
The peep reaction should be a "reward" for your building and playing efforts. Not a punishment.

Also I guess for optimization it would be much more useful to have peeps return to "queue mode" while they are waiting in line. Having them constantly evaluate their surroundings because they´re hungry, thirsty or need the WC while they could be in "queue stasis" would most certainly reduce processing power?! I´m not a programmer, though.